The straw through the brick wall | Artful Balance

They say that in a tornado, wind speeds are so high that an ordinarily fragile object like straw or eggs can be torpedoed through the sides of barns and brick houses without breaking.

Much like a tornado, life each day brings new possibilities for inconveniences and new obligations. Just this morning, I cursed myself for daring to step out of the path of my normal commute and perform the simple task of withdrawing cash for savings. The ATM machine froze; it would respond to no button-pushing, and my chore must now be left unraveled until after the holiday.

"I should have known attempting something out of my routine would unfurl a host of unwanted problem."

I was frustrated, and my internals felt more like a carton of eggs used for a house-egging spree.

Confronting life, though, entails something different from my reaction to the ATM today. When I learn to react to my state of affairs – my housemates, the world outside, the noise, the crowds, the limitations on my mobility because of my office job – with appropriate assertiveness, life can begin to go differently.

The straw doesn't bend and crumble. The eggs don't go splat.

Quiet and unassuming as they may be, the things that would bring me a life-changing breakthrough against the oppressive qualities of life are silent, private, and are not that impressive outwardly.

The egg through the brick wall of my life circumstances and bouts of melancholy is finding self-discipline and following through on it no matter what. Assertiveness breeds vitality.